| ~Jake~ |
| Where to start? At the end of July 2006 a little Blue Tick Coon Hound began to circle into my life. The first time, he was "visiting" at Dizzy's. |
| A friend offered to let me hold him (he was 2 months old). Knowing my own house was full, I couldn't possibly even think of adopting another dog (see how the mind works? holding puppy = adopting full-grown dog), I said "no thank you" -- and dove into the back of the store. A week later, I got a call. Could I take 5 coonhound puppies (or just one) for a week while the foster mom dealt with a family emergency. My schedule was undeniably full for the next two weeks. Again I said, "No." Two weeks later, walking back into Dizzy's, my friend was there with just this one pup. My friend had circles under her eyes, she hadn't slept in three days. The coonhound puppy was snoozing contentedly in her arms...he'd kept her up BAYING at night. My schedule was clear for the next two weeks I said, "Okay, but for just one week." |
You know what happened...it can't be a surprise. |
And besides, every dog trainer worth her salt should stay in touch with puppy-dom. Right? |
Oh, and he's a joy to walk with. He isn't mortally afraid of school buses (a la Beagie) and he's perfectly happy to walk the same route every day (Fred will lie down in protest--I have to be mindfully creative for his sake). Not only that, but with a little encouragement, this is one hound that will actually go out and poop in the rain instead of saying "oh, no, never mind, I can hold it 'til next Thursday if need be." |
| He's still a little on the noisy side. But I've not had any baying at night. Ever. And with a little work, in a few weeks was able to get up in the mornings and move about without risking him getting aroused and waking the neighbors. |
He's done really well on good food (Canidae) and where I was sure he'd be a little runt, he's turning into a nicely sized dog. |
| Of course, the real battle was convincing the rest of the crew that Jake was here to stay. Fred has been, as usual, a saint. When first confronted with the duties of Uncle-hood, he was hesitant and decided to consult a good book. He has been a good disciplinarian (shock!) and at the same time, incredibly tolerant. (He did request, and receive, a raise and a promotion. And more vacation time.) Callie was next to capitulate. As a cat, she enjoys being annoyed. I tried to keep them separate until I realized that Callie was actually seeking Jake out, if only to express her displeasure. Jake thinks Aunt Callie is just the best fun. The last bastion is Beagie. And I'm reconciled that as an aggressive dog (like alcoholism, aggression is never cured), Beagie will simply have to managed around Jake forever. Fortunately, Beagie has remarkable bite inhibition, given her absence of humor and short fuse. Teeth have never broken skin. Further, Jake is more than willing to drop and roll as soon as Aunt Beagie turns into the Wicked Witch of the West ("Come here, my pretty..."). I do the best I can, keeping them separate. Beagie is more than happy with this arrangement and Jake has Fred and Callie to torture, er, play with. |
About Us
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| The Happy Hound Havin' Fun with Tricks & Good Manners Peg Dawson Harrington, Trainer & Behavior Consultant Member, Association Pet Dog Trainers #63215 12/08 Member, International Association of Dog Behavior Consultants AKC CGC Evaluator #27443 615-584-2940 Copyright © 2008 Peg Dawson Harrington All rights reserved. |